As the district struggles to support students' mental health, a startup called Sonar Mental Health has created a “happy companion” called Sonny.
As explained in the Wall Street Journal, Sonny is a chatbot that relies on a combination of human staff and AI. When a student texts a question to Sonny, the AI suggests a response, but it is the human who is ultimately responsible for the message.
Sonar said it signed the first school partnership in January 2024, making it available to more than 4,500 middle and high school students in nine districts. The company says the chat is currently being monitored by a team of six with a background in psychology, social work and crisis support.
CEO Drew Babir has made clear to students and schools that Sony is not a therapist, and that Sonar's staff will work with the school and parents to find a student therapist if necessary. He spoke.
A major reason this approach could appeal to school districts is the current shortage of counselors. The Education Department says 17% of high schools don't have any high schools at all.